Washing Soda Vs. Baking Soda: What's The Difference?

Picture a box of white powder that says "soda" on it. Where does it go? In a cake mix or in the wash? The difference is important! Washing soda and baking soda are identical in looks, and both are used in the home. The biggest difference is that baking soda is edible and washing soda is not. And you should know which is which before you start baking or cleaning. Simply put: baking soda is safe for cooking and good for cleaning. Washing soda is bad for cooking and great for cleaning.

Baking soda is the mix that does the most; it cleans, cooks, whitens, scrubs. Keep it in the kitchen or in the laundry room for various uses (more on that later). Store-bought washing soda does not have baking soda in it, but there are washing soda DIY recipes that use baking soda as a base.  That said, washing soda can be used as a food additive for certain dishes due to its high alkaline levels. But please note that the washing soda bought in stores or made at home is not edible. In fact, some washing soda DIY recipes requires gloves to handle the mixture, as it can be harmful to the skin to touch. Even with store-bought washing soda, it's recommended that you wear gloves when using washing soda to clean.

Put on your lab coats, it's science time. Baking soda is made of sodium bicarbonate, with the chemical formula NaHCO3. A way to remember that it is edible is to hang on to the "b" in bicarbonate — "b" for baking, "b" for bicarbonate.

Washing soda is made of sodium carbonate (formula Na2CO3). It is also known as "soda ash" and was once harvested from the ashes of plants and seaweed. Washing soda has a high pH level of 11. The pH level measures how acidic or alkaline a chemical or substance is, with a level of 7 being neutral. For comparison, household bleach also starts at pH 11. Baking soda is also on the alkaline side, but with a pH level of 8. 

Both baking soda and washing soda are excellent to use in the laundry room. For the whitest towels, try adding half a cup of washing soda to your laundry routine. That high alkaline level lifts stains like bleach without the burn. For gentle cycles, half a cup of baking soda helps neutralize odors naturally and can be used to pretreat spots and stains. As for general cleaning, pair baking soda with lemon or white vinegar. Lemon and baking soda are gentle enough to use on glass in the kitchen or in the bathroom. 

Learning how to clean with lemon, vinegar, and baking soda is both eco- and wallet-friendly, so take advantage of science and understand the differences between baking soda and washing soda to keep your house sparkling.